Capitol Steps or Halliburton Steps

The Capitol Steps, who started out as a group of Senate staffers, appeared at Virginia Beach's Sandler Center on Sunday, September 28th. They satirize the crazy business of U.S. politics. And, they're equal opportunity artists of the political lampoon, i.e. they're "bi-partisan butchers"! And hilarious! My face hurt from laughing so much.

We met a few of the Steps prior to the show and laughed as they told us that they just couldn't make this stuff up. What goes on in politics today provides SO much material that they just can't use it all, and they could change their schitck daily!

Some of the best skits dealt with Bushisms, Spoonerisms and the naming opportunities of major corporations, hence the lampoon of their own name into "Halliburton Steps".

See some of their hilarity for yourself on their YouTube Channel HERE.

Wait Wait revisited...

My favorite NPR radio show "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me!" was here in Hampton Roads in early June. No, make that my favorite radio show. Period.

Anyway, thanks to WHRO's wonderful freelance photographer, I was able to grab some of these great pictures:



Stars of the show Peter Sagal and Carl Kassel get the audience warmed up before taping.

Bert and I after the show with Peter Sagal, host of "Wait Wait", and Virginia Beach mayor, Meyera Oberndorf.


Bert and I with Mal Branch of the Virginia Ship Repair Association and his lovely wife, Nancy.


Bert and I with Carl Kassel, the "Wait Wait" co-host and official prize (at least his voice).


Rob Cross of the Virginia Arts Festival, his very talented wife Deb (Virginia Symphony principal flute), me and Bert.


Margaret Blackwell of Northrop Grumman and I share wine and stories at the "Wait Wait" pre-party.


An avid (or is that rabid) Carl Kassel fan. Yes, her shirt says "I Have Carl's Voice".

Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me! Naw, just kidding...PLEASE TELL ME!

WHRO and the VA Arts Festival did it again. They brought a NPR radio show to Hampton Roads. This time it was the magnificently wicked and intelligent Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! This is NPR's weekly hour-long quiz show, and it came to life for me on the stage of the Sandler Center in VA Beach this week. I can't wait to hear the podcast and the version edited for radio (no, it's not aired live and now I know why! lol)

Each week on the radio I test my knowledge with real news and some that's just made up. I must say, I like the mixture!

WHRO and VAF had a joint event afterward to meet/greet the stars of the show. So, who did we meet?

Peter Sagal -- the show's host who, according to his bio, has had a varied career including stints as a playwright, screenwriter, stage director, actor, extra in a Michael Jackson video, travel writer, essayist, ghostwriter and staff writer for a motorcycle magazine. I was lucky enough to have him sign his new book The Big Book of Vices: Very Naughty Things (and How to Do Them). Thanks, Peter!

Carl Kasell -- is the "Official Judge and Scorekeeper". He's been on NPR's Morning Edition since 1979. If you're not familiar with the show, Carl's voice on your home answering machine or other voicemail device is the PRIZE for winning callers. What started as a lark (come on, they had little to no budget) has become a prized possession! One audience member and avid fan who had earned Carl's voice years ago sported a t-shirt espousing her success!

This week's panelists included Roxanne Roberts, a writer for The Washington Post's Style section; P.J. O'Rourke, a correspondent for the Atlantic Monthly and sometimes commentator on HBO's Real Time with Bill Mahr; and, last but certainly not least, Tom Bodett, an author and commentator, yet he will be forever immortailized by Motel 6 commercials for saying "We'll leave the light on for you".

What fun! Hope to SEE them again soon!

I hung out with Garrison Keillor

Garrison Keillor made a stop in Virginia Beach on Tue, May 20 at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts.

The show was wonderful, yet the best part was hanging out in the green room with Mr. Keillor before the show. Hey, it pays to know people; what can I say?!? (co-presented by Bert's PBS station WHRO)

Mr. Keillor is as down-to-earth and quirky as the character he portrays in stage as a solo act and with the long-running public radio hit "A Prairie Home Companion". Bert and I had the pleasure of seeing APHC last fall at their home theater, the Fitzgerald in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is tall and gangly, and, yes, he still wears his red socks and red sneakers...and, I do believe they may even be the originals. Mr. Keillor is as warm and comfy as his voice, even stretching out and trying the strange wavy couch in the Sandler's green room.

Bowfire, a musical bonanza at the Sandler Center

I don't think I've ever been so enthusiastic about a musical performance (that wasn't Aerosmith). Bert and I enjoyed a fantastic ensemble group, Bowfire, at the Virginia Beach Sandler Center tonight.

We'd seen a small portion of the troupe perform at a PBS GM meeting in NYC at Tavern on the Green this summer. So, we were delighted to find them on the schedule at the Sandler this winter.

Bowfire is definitely a "must see" event, employing fiddle and violin, cello, guitar, keyboard and drums, and even an amazing instrument called a Chinese Erhu. They seamlessly mix a wide range of musical styles and even thow in step and tap dancing and a wonderful vocalist. The choreography was breath-taking, leaving me breathless in my seat.


I especially enjoyed their rockin' encore of Led Zeppelin's Kashmir Check out their schedule at http://www.bowfire.com/ and don't miss a show.